Fragrances

Curve by Liz Claiborne

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One of the most popular fragrances for men on the market, always seems to be Curve by Liz Claiborne. Yes, this cologne always sits among the list of best sellers and has developed quite a following for itself since its 1996 release.

Why? Is it because it is the most complex scent out there? No, it’s a rather simple fragrance that blends its notes nicely. Is it the most masculine? Again, no.

Quite simply, Curve is just a great smelling cologne which is available at a very affordable price. In this post, I want to take a bit of a closer look at Curve and examine what makes it so good.

What does Curve by Liz Claiborne Smell Like?

Notes include: fresh greens, pepper, lemon, pineapple, neroli, lavender, sage, cactus, sandalwood, juniper, ginger, cedar, amber, mahogany and water

Click here to try: Curve By Liz Claiborne For Men. Cologne Spray 6.8 oz

My Full Wear Review

Curve became absolute legend when it was released back in the 90s. I remember that my dad used to wear this for a while and I thought it smelled fantastic.

It opens up with a blend of lemon, pineapple, and some neroli. It’s got a nice citrus zest, is a bit sharp, but flanked by spicy notes like ginger, pepper, and sage.

The opening is quite lemony and the pineapple is very noticeable as well, the spice notes are none too heavy, but are prominent during the early stages.

After that initial bit, Curve really gets going with the lavender note. That is probably the most important aspect of this fragrance and gives the composition its fresh and clean disposition. Curve smells sweet and warm, with bits of light coolness, breathing through the middle of the cologne.

Still, the citrus top notes are the main attractions, and when paired with that lavender note, it is great. This Liz Claiborne fragrance also features a cactus note, much like Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger, does.

It must have been a thing in the late 90s to add cactus to popular scents, perhaps, that is the secret to their success.

During the dry down, the woody base emerges, led by the mahogany note. There is also some non-distinct sandalwood and cedar lurking in the back, but mahogany is the strongest. So, you have a super fresh ctirus/green scent with light spices/musk and a woody base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Curve never really had a huge sillage to me, it could start off fairly strong but would sink into a lighter moderate area. That’s about what one should expect. Not a powerhouse, but a very nice value play.

The longevity is around 5-7 hours on my skin, not much more than that. However, with a scent like this, it’s really all you need much of the time. If you want something longer lasting, you will most likely move to something more upscale.

Seasonally, it reminds me of spring, but really it’s a year round cologne. It can be worn casually, at work, school, or out on a date. This stuff will always get complements, I’m convinced of that fact.

It’s probably best for younger men, but all ages could wear it. If you need something fancier or more formal, Curve isn’t going to be the one. As a fresh aromatic cheapie? It’s great.

You can get it for cheap, but it will still get more positive reactions than many of the higher end fragrances for men. I don’t know what it is, but I cannot honestly disagree, as I love the way this smells.

That’s not to say that it will outshine all designer colognes, but it for sure punches above its weight class.

Overall Impressions of Curve

Curve is a great starter cologne for guys in high school up through college. Heck, I’d still wear it, if I had a bottle right now. It’s not my favorite fragrance of all time or anything, but you cannot really deny the power that this stuff has had for over 20 years.

Women love it. Like, it is unreasonable the attention that a simple cheapie like this brings, but it’s worth every penny. If you want something fresh, clean, and attractive for cheap…it’s not something you can go wrong with.

Less of a sexy smell and more of just something that is very attractive and pleasant to people. The performance is solid enough and the price is great. Curve is classic.

212 VIP vs VIP Black Comparison

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For this head to head cologne comparison, I am going to take a closer look at two Carolina Herrera fragrances from the 212 lineup: 212 VIP vs. 212 VIP Black. Which of these nightlife scents, smells the best? VIP Black was released in 2017, as a follow up flanker to the original, but does it surpass VIP? Which has better performance? Which should you buy?

Tale of the Tape: 212 Black vs. VIP

212 VIP

Notes include: caviar lime, frozen mint, black pepper, vodka, ginger, amber, apple, King wood, tonka bean

Click here to try: 212 Vip by Carolina Herrera Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: 212 VIP

212 VIP Black

Notes include: absinthe, leather, lavender, musk, vanilla, amber, anise

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Black Men Eau de Parfum 3.4oz / 100ml – Launched in 2017

Read my review: 212 VIP Black

Opening

The opening of 212 VIP is a smooth boozy aroma with a spicy blast. You get the alcoholic note of vodka, creamy tonka bean, amber, and the pepper to give it a kick. It’s sweet and warm with mixed drink undertones of lime and mint.

VIP Black, on the other hand, also has a boozy start but this time it is absinthe. Like it’s predecessor, Black has a warm amber note and spice, but it’s a weaker anise in lieu of pepper. Add to this, lavender and a quite faint leather note.

Which is better? The original 212 VIP has a much more interesting and better smelling opening, especially after a few minutes, when the vodka note settles. VIP Black is nice and I like the absinthe, but it just isn’t as attractive.

Edge: 212 VIP

Projection

212 VIP has been known as a strong scent, with beast sillage. It is the type you can spray and people will definitely notice it. VIP is absolutely a nightlife fragrance, as such, it is going to be loud and boisterous.

Does VIP Black have a similar profile? Unfortunately, no. It is a light to moderate scent and doesn’t seem to be able to project itself very well at all.

Edge: 212 VIP

Longevity

Again, I get 10+ hours of wear from my bottle of the original. It’s performance is really top notch. With Black, I could only muster 5-6 hours of wear, and most of that it had fairly weak sillage.

Edge: 212 VIP

Versatility

All right, so, both of these are pretty limited colognes and are designed specifically for nightlife wear. They both are good in cold weather, but not when it gets warm. Neither is very casual or an office safe type of scent. They pretty much fit the same bill, as to be expected with flanker fragrances.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I was really excited to try 212 VIP Black because I enjoy the original, as a bold go to scent on some evenings. If it could have been another monster performer, with a different take on the booze soaked cologne genre, I would have been quite happy.

The problem is, it just doesn’t perform up to par, and what smell there is isn’t as good as the original. VIP Black has that nice boozy opening and then settles into something that is sweet with a bit of musk.

Vanilla, amber, and musk are pretty much the dry down and the absinthe and spice is hardly noticeable.

212 VIP, isn’t a fragrance for everyone, many people won’t enjoy a bomb of a fragrance with a vodka note at the center of it. Understandable, but I still like throwing it on, because of it’s sweet boozy demeanor and very nice dry down. It’s a club banger, at an affordable price. It wins this head to head rather easily.

Winner: 212 VIP

Green Irish Tweed by Creed

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In this post, I am going to continue my cologne reviews for men by taking a closer look at yet another Creed fragrance, Green Irish Tweed. I have already done 5 or so reviews of Creed scents and have created a list of the Best of Creed but have as of yet had a chance to tackle the popular, Green Irish Tweed.

How does this cologne measure up? Is it worth a purchase? What are the ingredients? How does it smell? I’ve been wearing it around and am ready to share my full thoughts on this fragrance.  Also Check Out: Green Irish Tweed Vs Aventus Creed Cologne Comparison

What does Green Irish Tweed Smell Like?

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Notes include: violet leaf, sandalwood, iris, ambergris, lemon verbena 

Click here to try: Green Irish Tweed By Creed For Men. Millesime Spray 4.0 Oz

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Green Irish Tweed is very earthy and has a sort of mossy/pine type of scent to it. To be honest, I’m not that big of a fan of the opening of this Creed fragrance, it doesn’t repulse me but it doesn’t draw me in really either.

It’s that first 15-20 minutes, where I am sort of at a loss, on how to feel about this cologne. I know some people really like it but it’s not quite my style.

I think that the violet leaf hasn’t yet settled at that point and I don’t like it with the lemon verbena. I don’t know, that greenish aroma isn’t all that pleasing.

However, once Green Irish Tweed starts to transition and the more citrus based notes begin to emerge, this stuff becomes quite nice and smooth. It has a refined and elegant aroma which is masculine without being overbearing or obnoxious.

To me, the whole fragrance is green, fresh, with a citrus kick provided by the lemon verbena.

When you get further in, the soapy/powdery quality begins to truly emerge. I know that this gets compared to Cool Water, quite a lot, and you can definitely smell a similarity between the composition.

Green Irish Tweed, does have that iris note and the ambergris, which aren’t in Cool Water. Also, it GIT has a green ‘grassy’ aroma, rather than the herbal spices of the Davidoff cologne. Plus, this isn’t an aquatic.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Longevity and projection wise, I would give Green Irish Tweed, high marks. It lasts 7-10 hours on my skin in mid-50 degree weather here in early winter.

Coming back to this again and again, it usually hits around 8.5 hours on my skin. Sometimes more, but this is the norm.

Also the sillage, was strong, but not monstrous. After the first few hours, it is much more of a moderate scent, but still great performance for me. I would just advise, not to go overboard with it, as it could become too much.

Although, I think this is more of a spring cologne with its clean, woodsy, soapy element. It could very well be worn nearly year round, though, I’d probably avoid the high heat of the summer months.

It is a versatile fragrance that can be worn formally or casually. It’s less of a sexy fragrance and more of a clean and pleasant one. People seem to be around this fragrance, as I have gotten some complements with it on, and nothing negative.

Overall Impressions of GIT

Is Creed’s Green Irish Tweed worth a purchase? Well, it is expensive but if you’re in the market for a Creed fragrance, then money isn’t much of an issue.

If you are the type of guy that likes citrus/woodsy/earthy type of smells and wants something that is fresh and distinct, then I’d say yes.

For me, I can wear it and enjoy it, but it isn’t my favorite by any stretch. In the Creed line, I generally prefer Imperial, Silver Mountain Water, Aventus, and maybe even Original Santal (despite the longevity issues). But, that preference fluctuates, as GIT belongs in that group too.

I recognize Green Irish Tweed as among the best of the Creed family, it will just appeal to some guys more than others. Some folks swear by it, but it is a nice fragrance with good performance, in my book.

Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce

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Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch became super popular during the early to mid 2000s, as a fragrance that younger guys would cover themselves in. Why? Well, it simply worked. It smelled great on guys and the girls around them seemed to love it.

In this post, I want to go back and review this still, amazing seller and see what makes it go. As usual, I will cover how it smells, how long it lasts, when it should be worn, and if it is still worth a buy. Note: I am reviewing the classic formulation of Fierce.

What does Fierce by A&F Smell Like?

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Notes include: petit grain, cardamom, lemon, orange and fir

Fierce By Abercrombie & Fitch Cologne Spray 1.7 Oz For Men

My Full Review

Fierce opens up with an aroma that often gets compared to Mont Blanc’s Legend. I do get the similarities at stages, but I have always felt that this one, was the better of the two.

The citrus notes are prominent at the top, you get lemon and orange, to go along with plenty of dry woodsy elements.

Hence, the Legend comparison. The citrus notes give it a clean feeling, but you don’t really get a juicy aroma, as it is tempered by the rest of the composition.

The next phase joins the citrus with some herbal spice, from notes such as, sage. The spice is there in the opening few minutes, but in my mind the cologne always became a bit more peppery, when it transitioned past that immediate opening.

Finally, you get the fantastic dry down that is laden with vetiver, oak moss, musk, and fir. You do still get some herbal spice and that lemon top note, but you mostly get a green, dry, and fresh smell.

It’s super attractive and one that is etched in so many people’s memories, from days spent at the mall in the early 2000s.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this stuff had a very good sillage. You could bomb out a room, if you wanted to, but with normal sprays it was just a great performing cologne. The longevity was also there and you could get it to go all day, with only a few sprays.

Again, I am reviewing the original A&F Fierce. From what I understand, the newer bottles have been reformulated, due to regulations and don’t pack the same punch.

I’m not sure what the case is, as I haven’t had a bottle of this stuff in forever now. The smell will be essentially the same, just less power.

Fierce quite simply is a cologne that will get a man complemented. It isn’t an insanely strong scent or anything like that but it is one that leaves a sweet aroma which lingers for a bit.

The citrus notes of lemon and orange are there but sometimes it’s difficult to notice their impact on the fragrance because they are used so subtly.

Fierce has an amazing depth and complexity to it, which I think plays a large part in its appeal. The scent is fresh, clean, and masculine. Its woodsy elements give it that sexy and masculine vibe which the girls love because they’re not too strong and more of a moderate floral scent than some heavier men’s colognes.

Add to that, they layer of sweet tangy-ness and you have yourself a winning fragrance.

It was great for casual or semi-formal events. It definitely was a teenager to early 20s fragrance for guys. Fierce was literally everywhere back in the day, and it was perfectly fine, because you would still get complements on it.

I always liked the fragrance, but the reactions were always pretty crazy to me.

Overall Impressions of Fierce

The only real downsides to this cologne is its overwhelming popularity, so it isn’t one that is unique, and the fact that it can be out of the price range for some guys.

However, if you have the means to purchase Fierce, this Abercrombie cologne absolutely delivers and will draw people to want to stand near you.

Again, none of this may be true anymore, with the newer bottles, so you may need to rustle up a vintage edition. But, the fragrance is almost certainly the same, just with some potential weaker performance.

Hugo Energise by Hugo Boss

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My latest review will be Energise by Hugo Boss, which I recently received a sample vial of and hadn’t yet given it much of a try. I have already reviewed Boss Bottled No. 6 and Hugo Red, which I recommend trying out and wanted to see if this one could find a place in my rotation.

How did Energise perform? What does it smell like? Is it worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full impression of this cologne.

What does Hugo Boss Energise Smell Like?

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Notes include: mandarin, cocoa beans, freesia, pink pepper, kumquat, coriander, and more

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Energise Eau de toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Fluid Ounce

My Full Wear Review

I have a pretty solid amount of respect for Hugo Boss fragrances, so when I got a hold of a sample of this cologne, I was excited to try it. With a name like Energise, I figured it’d be a youthful and you know, energetic scent.

Upon opening, I get a citrusy type of smell mixed with pink pepper which adds a hint of spiciness. Also, the cocoa beans are faint, but I’m pretty sure I’m detecting them for an added layer of smoothness.

The mint that is present, gives this a coolness to go with the fresh warmth of the pink pepper. However, it just doesn’t seem to have a really crisp edge. It feels pretty flat. Clean, yes, but that’s about all.

Honestly, the opening is just so bland to me. It’s not a bad smell but it does seem really flat and uninspiring. I have no idea where they were trying to take this one.

On the one hand, it is a rather unique type of scent just based on the ingredients…BUT there’s nothing really there to make it pop. Just a semi-sweet blend of citrus and pink pepper.

There wasn’t too much of a drydown period with Energise either, as it doesn’t hold for very long. Some leather, the remaining citrus, and pink pepper. That’s about all that I get from this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage isn’t huge, probably call it a lighter moderate cologne. It’s somewhat noticeable, but isn’t going to really assert itself.

While the projection is moderate, it only seems to last a few hours. Seriously, after a few tries with this scent, I got it to last 3 hours at its maximum. Somewhere in that range, is about what one can expect from Energise.

I suppose that this was meant to be a casual scent, since it certainly isn’t romantic, energizing, or seductive in any way. I would say that this would be more geared toward younger guys, but not completely a teenager’s fragrance. It has enough maturity to go higher in age range.

Overall Impressions of Energise

Overall, I’m just confused by this cologne. What’s its purpose? Performance is subpar and it is totally average while it does work. I can’t recommend Energise when there are so many others out there that are much better, including from Hugo Boss.

I don’t think that it smells bad at all. It’s just, meh. If it had better performance, I could maybe give it a thumbs up, at a cheap enough price point. But even for cheap, Energise doesn’t strike me as being worth it.

Doesn’t seem to be all that cheap, but the good news is (if you’re interested in Energise) is Boss still makes this, as of now. So, test is out for yourself.